Lighting, cameras, informational kiosks and public Wi-Fi will all be installed at certain points along the trails, and access to Freedom Bridge Plaza and Bicentennial Plaza will be improved.

by Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.
/
July 6, 2017

(TNS) -- DELPHI, Ind. -- A trail task force has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund safety improvements to the Delphi Historic Trails system, including trail cameras, more lights and other upgrades.

The campaign, sponsored by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and offered through the crowdfunding platform developed by Patronicity, is being run by the Caroll County Wabash and Erie Canal Inc., a local nonprofit.

"It is inspiring to see the response Delphi citizens and officials have had to the tragic murders of Abby Williams and Libby German earlier this year," said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who chairs the IHCDA Board, in a press release issued Wednesday. "This project will make the historic trail system safer and renew a sense of security for residents and visitors of Delphi."

RELATED

If the campaign reaches its crowdfunding goal of $50,000 by Aug. 30, the Delphi Historic Trails Safety and Security project will receive a matching grant from IHCDA's CreatINg Places program.

“As a community we will not stand idle on the importance of safety for our trails," said Jacob Adams, Director of Community Development for the City of Delphi. "We plan to set the precedence for trail safety for every community moving forward."

After months of planning, the Delphi task force has identified several safety improvements that can be installed along the trails. Lighting, cameras, informational kiosks, and public wi-fi will all be installed at certain points along the trails, and access to Freedom Bridge Plaza and Bicentennial Plaza will be improved.

Additionally, trail markers will be erected at every tenth of a mile along the trails so local Emergency Services can have more precise information on where 911 callers are and how to best reach them. An endowment fund will also be supported at the Carroll County Community Foundation to provide for long-term maintenance of the trail safety measures.

CreatINg Places employs a donation and reward-based method of crowdfunding called crowdgranting. In crowdgranting, citizens actively support projects and activities through web-based donations which, if the fundraising goal is reached within a set time, are matched by a sponsor.

Since the program began, 13 projects have been launched and raised in excess of $400,000 in public funds. 11 of these campaigns have met their their fundraising goal and therefore were awarded matching funds from IHCDA. The other two projects remain open.

The CreatINg Places program is available to projects located in Indiana communities or neighborhoods which contain a traditional downtown or traditional neighborhood commercial node. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and Local Units of Government are eligible to apply.

Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should they successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.